


Let's Meet Under the Mistletoe

by GreyForceUser (ReyandKyloforever)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Bossy Ben Solo, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, First Kiss, Hux is a conniving bitch, Mistletoe, Museums, Office Romance, Rey and Ben have to work together, Rey doesn't take any shit, Reylo Christmas, Sexual Tension, Snark, Tech skills, work enemies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-09-28 10:09:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17180975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReyandKyloforever/pseuds/GreyForceUser
Summary: Rey Johnson and Ben Solo do not get along. Their first meeting was less than impressive. A change in circumstances forces Rey and Ben to work together to stage a huge black-tie Christmas party in a ridiculously short period of time. Only time will tell if they can stand each other long enough to pull it off or if the whole thing will crash and burn.





	1. We have a Plan B

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ria84](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ria84/gifts).



> This gift fic is for the one and only Ria84, one of the sweetest, nicest people you will ever meet! I was thrilled to get her name in this exchange.
> 
> Ria, I hope you enjoy this little office romance I've cooked up for you! ♥♥♥♥
> 
> Part of The Writing Den's Winter Fic Exchange

 

Rey Thompson arrived for work a half hour earlier than usual on July 5th. The museum had been closed for the July 4th Holiday and the day after usually signaled the beginning of the busy summer season. A new exhibit was debuting today and she needed to triple check everything was as it should be. She also had an important meeting with the museum director and a potential client that morning. The extra time would ensure she was able to drink her tea in peace before having to manage her boss's lack of understanding of how events actually worked at the museum.

 

Rey was in her fifth year as the museum's Events Manager. The Kelvin Ravine Art Museum was an over fifty-year-old institution located on the large estate of Lor San Tekka, a wealthy patron of the arts in Tuanul. Although in possession of a large number of carefully curated art pieces, the collection was deemed not valuable enough to be moved to finer art museums upon his death. Rather than selling off the collection that the man had been so proud of, his heirs instead constructed a museum to house and display the art for the public. While the initial collection may not have been prestigious enough for a fine art museum, over the years the various directors had curated quite a number of revered artists' works. This made the small facility a desirable location to host events. They had even accommodated several celebrity weddings looking for a quaint country feel to their nuptials.

 

She had just finished preparing her tea when she heard knocking echoing through the quiet museum. Rey half expected to find her forgetful boss, Poe Dameron, through the glass door. Instead, her eyes met with an unreasonably tall man in a sharp suit, with black short hair. She smiled as she approached the door, unlocking the top and the bottom to let the man in.

 

"Good morning," she greeted what she now noticed was a very handsome man. He was light skinned with beauty marks sprinkled about, dark chocolate colored eyes and ridiculously alluring red full lips.

 

"Good morning," the man returned amiably enough as he entered the building. "I'm meeting with Poe Dameron and Rey Johnson."

 

"Oh, yes. I'm Rey Johnson," she smiled and held out her hand.

 

"Ben Solo." He took her hand and gave a firm shake. Rey looked down at their connected hands noting how his hand practically swallowed hers. She tried _not_ to notice the jolt of excitement zipping through her at the simple touch. He also glanced briefly at their joined hands before releasing hers.

 

"You're a bit early, Poe isn't here yet. I was just getting myself some tea. Could I offer you a cup or perhaps some coffee?" She turned away from the entrance, striding back towards her office.

 

"I'll take some coffee, thanks. Any idea when he'll be here? I have another meeting to get back to in the city." His voice had a hint of irritation.

 

"Isn't the meeting scheduled for 9:30 am? It's only 9:10." Her lips pursed as she tilted her head to the side when she peered back at him.

 

"It is, I was just hoping to get this over quickly." They arrived at her office and she gestured for him to sit at the small table. He dwarfed the chair he sat on as he pulled documents out of his briefcase.

 

"How do you take your coffee, Mr. Solo?"

 

"Black," he replied unceremoniously.

 

"Okay, I'll be just a minute while I get that for you." She tried to infuse some enthusiasm in her voice, but his clipped answers and lack of manners were making it rather difficult. He glanced up at her and gave her a brief nod, his lips pressed together making a straight line.

 

Rey tapped her fingers on the counter waiting for the Keurig to finish brewing his coffee. _This is going be a great meeting, I can tell already_ , she thought to herself grimly. His attractiveness was deteriorating by the second.

 

She placed his coffee on the table in front of him and he mumbled a word of thanks. At least, that's what she _thought_ he said. With the mumbling, it was really tough to tell. She moved back to her desk and took a sip or two of her tea while pulling together a new client file. There were several standard contract documents that every client had to sign assuring the museum would be covered in the event of any damage to the artwork. Another was a detailed listing of what was allowed at the museum and what was not. Of all the information she shared with clients looking to book an event, this was the most poorly understood by clients and caused the most challenges in her job.

 

Poe arrived shortly after and the three sat down and talked about the museum, the event Mr. Solo was there for, and went on a tour of the facilities.

 

It turned out Ben Solo was a Senior Project Director at First Order Events, an organization that handled the most exclusive and high-profile events in the nation. The First Order was asked to find a location and plan out a black-tie Christmas party for a wealthy individual. Before giving the museum the name of the person, Solo needed to make sure the institution could meet all the requirements for the event. The more Rey heard, the more her boss got excited about the prospect of hosting this exclusive party. Internally she groaned as the scope of the project grew larger and larger as Solo explained what the client envisioned. It was by far the largest affair they had been asked to coordinate to date.

 

"I think the Kelvin will be able to meet all your requirements, Mr. Solo. Rey here has managed some amazing events here over the last five years, haven't you, Rey?"

 

She was lost in thought trying to imagine how this project would come to life here, chewing on her bottom lip when she realized both men were looking at her waiting for an answer.

 

"Uh, yes. Yes, we have done some great events here," she agreed when she finally came to. "I will say, however, that we've never done anything this large in scale and scope. There are a number of things your client would like that we have never done before, Mr. Solo."

 

The giant man had the audacity to move his now condescending gaze from her and direct it at Poe before asking gruffly, "So can you do the event or not?"

 

Rey could feel anger creeping up her spine and her cheeks heat as Solo ignored her and looked to the person least qualified to answer the question.

 

"Absolutely! The Kelvin will make your event a huge success!" Poe guaranteed with his most winning smile.

 

********

 

"This is going to be an absolute disaster!" Rey cried after the pompous Solo left. "There is no way we are going to be able to meet all the requirements. We are just too small. Parking and security alone will be a nightmare, never mind that he wants to construct a massive tent in the parking lot. In the middle of winter!"

 

"Rey, peanut, it will all be fine," Poe soothed while Rey looked at him with exasperation. "I have every confidence you will be able to pull this off."

 

"Don't you 'peanut' me," she griped. "You let him completely dismiss me when you're not the one who knows what we can and cannot do. Do you even know how many cars our parking lots can handle?"

 

"Uh, no. I'm sorry, Rey. I know he was kind of an ass at the end there. But the museum could really benefit from this. The First Order does the biggest and most exclusive events around the country. This could bring in some much-needed funding, as well as exposure" he justified.

 

She rubbed her brow anxiously, continuing to chew on her lips.

 

"If he asks you anything else about what we can and can't do, you _need_ to run it by me first before just agreeing to it, okay? There _is_ an actual limit to what we can do here, Poe."

 

"Fine, fine. I will. I _promise_. I know you'll knock this out of the park," was his confidence inspiring response.

 

********

 

Two weeks later, there was a signed contract between the Kelvin Ravine Museum of Art and First Order Events. It was when the contract was signed that they found out the wealthy client was none other than art patron Maz Kanata. She was actually well known in the art philanthropy community, donating funds and artworks to various museums across the globe.

 

While Ben Solo signed the contracts and agreed to the standard liability documents of the museum, someone named Armitage Hux would be the Production Manager handling the day to day work and regular communication with them. Rey had yet to meet the man, but they were emailing fairly regularly as he began contracting various vendors for the event.

 

The event was still over five months away so there wasn't a huge amount Rey could do in preparation. She was, however, able to recommend certain vendors she had relationships with in the more suburban area of the museum when Hux asked for them. Some he used and some he didn't. He was scheduled to visit the museum in October to get the visual feel of the place. He'd been provided with a map of the grounds and the layout of the museum itself for measurements and planning purposes.

 

In September, the museum upgraded its parking lots, both in repaving and adding on to them thus creating more capacity. They would need that extra capacity for the December 22nd black tie event. To Rey's great relief, Mr. Solo wasn't involved in the project any longer. She was relieved to not have to deal with his attitude. Hux, or Armie as he told her to call him, seemed much more pleasant and was significantly less condescending.

 

When Armie came for the visit in October, Rey showed him around the grounds and the inside of the museum. As they surveyed the placement of the tent, she realized what was originally in the contract for the size of the tent had in fact doubled. There was no way the increased size would fit in the previously designated location. They would either have to relocate the tent or stick with the smaller size. She made sure Armie was well aware of this and would tell Mr. Solo that it wouldn't work.

 

They talked about heating the tent. She knew that there would be heaters, but what Armie was now saying they were going to do for heaters was also a problem. The generators they planned to use to power the heaters would give off so much heat of their own, it would kill the foliage around them if placed in the grass as originally planned. Rey suggested a new location for the generators on the pavement in the lower parking lot and running cables from there to the heaters. Armie agreed that solution would work and he would inform Mr. Solo of the change.

 

There were several other issues in which Rey had suggested an alternative to the original plan. In each case, Armie agreed and thanked her for her expertise. Each time they made a change, Rey requested and received a signed revised contract for her files. Everything seemed to be going smoothly as they headed into the holiday season, one of the busiest times of year for the museum. That is, aside from summer weddings.

 

Which is what made it an utter surprise when Rey got a text from Poe on the day after Thanksgiving. Poe stated they had a problem with the Maz Kanata Christmas party.

 

"What do you mean he said he didn't know about the scope changes? Armie Hux said he has been keeping his highness fully informed the entire time!" Rey bellowed into her iPhone.

 

"Listen, I don't know what is going on, but I think it's best if you talk to Solo about what has changed. It's probably a simple miscommunication. I'll text you his number. Let me know what he says." She got the text a few seconds later. She pressed call taking a deep breath as the ringing began.

 

"Solo," was the brusque greeting she received.

 

"Mr. Solo, it's Rey Johnson from the Kel-," he but her off abruptly.

 

"What did Dameron mean when he said many of the requirements changed from the original contract? I approved no such changes," he admonished in a churlish tone.

 

"Armie Hux said he was keeping you informed of the changes we were making. The scope kept getting larger and we had to come up with alternative solutions," she defended irascibly.

 

"Hux hasn't told me about any changes and I don't see anything that doesn't match up with our original plan."

 

"Well, I don't know what to tell you Mr. Solo, but a lot has changed. Maybe you should come to the museum and see the lay-," he interrupted her again.

 

"Can I come by today?" It was more statement than a question. Rey sighed internally. There went her four-day weekend.

 

"Yes, I can meet you there. What time can you get out here?" she agreed begrudgingly.

 

"I'm about fifteen minutes away." So much for cleaning up before going to meet him.

 

"Fine, I'll meet you in the parking lot in fifteen."

 

********

 

She was listening to the 'all-Christmas-songs-after-Thanksgiving' radio station in her car when the black BMW pulled up next to her. A somewhat disheveled and dressed-down Ben Solo emerged from the sleek vehicle. He was wearing a black sweater with black pants and his short hair looked as though his hand must have run through it a million times already. He shrugged on a jacket over his sweater before pulling out his briefcase from the back seat. Over his dark eyes, his brow was already furrowed.

 

"We can go in the back," she called to him as she walked to the employee entrance in the rear and unlocked the door. As soon as she was inside she entered the electronic alarm code.

 

"I...uh, I didn't realize the museum wouldn't be open today," he announced quietly.

 

She waited for another few moments expecting him to apologize for making her come in on her day off, but none ever came.

 

"Well, yeah. We're a small museum in suburbia. We do close from time to time." She unlocked her office door and went to log onto her computer and pull out her client file for the First Order.

 

The raven-haired man put his briefcase on the table and pulled out his own folder of papers.

 

"I printed out all the contracts Hux has on our system. The contract with the museum, and with all the various vendors he's contracting with for the event. Everything seems in order on my side. Can you show me what your contract with First Order says?"

 

"I can do better than that, Mr. Solo. I can show you not only the heavily revised contract between the Kelvin Ravine Museum and the First Order, but I can also show you all the vendor contracts as well. I require any outside event management that hire their own contractors to provide me with all contracts and updates so that I am kept in the loop at all times," she informed him confidently.

 

"Really? That would be very helpful to compare with what Hux has on file at the First Order." He seemed slightly impressed if his raised eyebrows were anything to go by.

 

They spent the next hour going over all the contracts. Rey pointed out the numerous changes that were made by Hux with comprehensive changelogs complete with confirmation emails from Hux that included documents with Ben Solo's signature on them.

 

"That is _not_ my signature," he spit out between gritted teeth. "That little son-of -a-bi-," this time, Rey did the interrupting.

 

"So you're telling me that you knew nothing about any of these changes? That Hux forged your signature every time we revised the contract?" she asked incredulously. "I don't understand. To what end?"

 

Solo shot up to standing and started pacing, clenching and unclenching his fists. She could see the fury on his face as the muscles in his angular jaw were working overtime, his lips in a tight line.

 

"That little ginger bastard is after my job. I can't believe I didn't see this sooner!" Solo was seemingly talking to himself, not making eye contact with her at all. "No project goes as smooth as Hux was saying this one was!"

 

He whirled around and pointed his finger sharply at her. Rey flinched with the ferocity of his expression now directed at her.

 

"Here's what we're going to do," he dictated. "You're going to keep on talking with Hux and letting him _believe_ that he is managing the event. But he's not. All direction for the remainder of this project comes directly from me to you. No intermediaries. We have less than a month to make sure this event goes off without a hitch."

 

"You want me to just 'yes' him?" She wasn't sure she was comfortable with the deception he was proposing.

 

"Exactly! You talk to him just how you have been all along. But in reality, you and I will be working side by side to put this together," he clarified, a wild glint in his amber orbs. "I don't even know if any of the changes he's made are from Maz or not. That'll be the first step."

 

"Uh, won't Ms. Kanata be upset with being asked all the requirements again?" She scratched the back of her neck and chewed on the inside of her cheek.

 

"Maz is an old family friend, all I have to do is call her and ask," he replied with a wave of his hand. "That won't be a problem. The fact that you have copies of all the new replacement contracts will help us figure out what Maz wants versus whatever Hux was up to."

 

"So you really think he was sabotaging this event on purpose?"

 

"Yes, I do. And we are going to let him think he is getting away with it until the day of the party."

 

Rey was not liking the sound of this. Not only was she being asked to deceive someone purposefully, but she was also going to end up working a lot of overtime to help Solo piece this project together. Normally she would just do what the client asked, but what he was suggesting was to start from scratch; arranging a major event that had been planned over a series of months being replanned in less than a month. During one of the busiest times of the year for vendors and contractors. This was going to require an enormous effort to complete.

 

"I'm not saying I can't do this, but it is going to require a lot of extra time for me that the museum does not have the funds to pay for," she explained and then took a deep breath. "We are going to need to revise the compensation to the museum to cover all the overtime I will need to work to help you."

 

She had barely finished speaking when Solo gave his answer. "Done."

 

Rey took another deep breath before leaning back in her chair, shaking her head slightly.

 

"Okay!" she exclaimed. "It looks like we will be working together for the next month."

 

_I've got a bad feeling about this._


	2. The Devil Wears Armani

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben start to work together, but things get a bit tense and testy between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long for Chapter 2! My muse took the same vacation my kids did from school. I had such big writing plans for winter break, but alas, they did not come to fruition.
> 
> The good news is the muse is back, and Chapter 3 will be up very quickly because it's already written!
> 
> This story is for the dearest of people, [@ria84](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ria84/pseuds/Ria84) whose prompt request was: "Ben and Rey work for competitors and are forced to work together, close to Christmas". And she is responsible for the beautiful mood board! Thank you, my dear!!!!
> 
> I highly recommend her own Christmas Fic, [Santa Baby](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16711966/chapters/39196603) about Secret Santa's in the office. If you like banter, angst, and fluff, this fic is for you! 
> 
> Thank you so much to [@fettuccine_alfreylo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fettuccine_alfreylo/pseuds/fettuccine_alfreylo) for being a wonderful beta!
> 
> Part of The Writing Den's Winter Fic Exchange, 2018.

**The Devil Wears Armani**

It took almost a half hour for Rey to convince Solo that there wasn't much more they could accomplish that day. It was, after all, the day after Thanksgiving. He wanted to solve the problems right away and she had to patiently explain that most businesses were closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. And  _ everything  _ they needed to verify required them to contact other businesses. He was clearly unhappy with having to wait until Monday to begin sorting out the mess. To allay his anxiety, she suggested that a good use of their time over the weekend would be to compare all the contracts to see where all the differences and conflicts were. Through the comparison, she could draft a list of suppliers that needed to be called.  And of course, contact Maz Kanata.

 

They left her office and she set the museum's inside alarm system before they stepped out into the brisk air, the horizon streaked with orange and pink.

 

"Thank you...er...for responding so quickly." He was clearly uncomfortable being gracious.  _ At least he is finally acknowledging this was my day off! _

 

"Not a problem, Mr. Solo. I'm glad I was available to help," she answered with a grin.

 

"Ben. Just call me Ben."

 

"Okay, Ben," she nodded at him as she opened her car door. "I'll make sure Poe is up to speed with what we discussed today and what our plan going forward is."

 

"Very good," he cleared his throat before continuing. "I'll see you on Monday."

 

********

 

Rey spent most of Saturday going through the First Order files and had accumulated a considerable number of people they were going to need to call. Anticipating Ben would have more anxiety about the whole situation over the weekend, she emailed him a link to her Dropbox folder and shared with him all the First Order contracts and agreements, tent and table layout plans, and every other bit of information she had on the project. She also texted him upon arriving home after her meeting with him, making sure he had her phone number and email address. She found over the years, the more she made herself available to a jittery client, the more confident they felt and the less they actually contacted her.

 

Evidently, that little trick didn't work on Ben Solo. She received so many texts and emails from Ben throughout the day on Saturday, she thought he must have recited every single line of every contract they had in his messages. Each time, he had a new question for her to answer. Even more texts and emails came from him on Sunday, if that was at all possible. He was clearly going through every single document on the shared Dropbox folder with a fine tooth comb. Rey was regretting sharing everything with him by the time her head hit the pillow Sunday night.

 

********

 

On Monday morning, Rey received a text from Ben before her alarm even went off that Maz Kanata had finally returned his call and would be available for a conference call with them at 11:00 am. Apparently, she had been off skiing over the holiday weekend.  _ Must be nice: I worked my entire holiday weekend. _

 

She came to the conclusion that working with Ben Solo for the next few weeks was likely to be the bane of her existence. The man was obviously a workaholic if the past weekend was any indication of his work habits. Somehow he had no idea that normal people took holidays off. And weekends. 

 

She was already sipping her tea when he strode into her office, his footsteps full of purpose. She was glad she arrived early again, knowing that he was probably going to be early every time he visited the museum. 

 

He gave her a curt nod and placed his briefcase on the table.

 

"Good morning, Ben," she greeted with a wide smile, her voice overly loud and pleasant. 

At that, he looked up and mumbled a greeting, making her smile for real after he turned his head away, ducking away from her gaze.

 

He pulled out his laptop and shuffled some papers. She could feel the heat of his gaze on her from time to time as she typed away on her computer and sipped her tea.

 

Finally, she heard him clear his throat. "Could I get a cup of coffee?"

 

She rose from her desk and smiled brightly. "That reminds me, I forgot I have something to show you. Follow me," she announced sweetly.

 

She walked through the corridor and went into a room on the left, Ben on her heels. She'd just led him into their kitchen. She stopped at the counter and gestured to the appliance sitting atop it.

 

"This is the Keurig machine. Everyone is welcome to use it. If you've never used one before the directions are right here on the front of the machine," she pointed at the directions, meeting his glare with a cheeky smile. She opened a door above the coffee machine. "The K-cups are in this cabinet. There are coffee and tea, sweetener and nondairy creamer. Help yourself to whatever you like."

 

She sauntered over and showed him the refrigerator. "You're welcome to bring in anything and store it in the fridge. The cleaners empty everything on Friday night. I have a small container of milk each week." She leaned towards him as if to share a secret and admitted quietly, "I like a bit of milk in my tea."

 

She veered back to see the reaction to his tour of the kitchen and his expression did not disappoint. His jaw muscles were flexing while his posture had gone completely rigid, his hands fisting by his side. She smiled to herself internally, knowing he probably hadn't made his own cup of coffee in years. But she was damned if she was going to do it!

 

It was also at this point that she noticed he was in another sharp looking suit. It wasn't the same suit from their previous meeting but obviously tailored to his enormous proportions. Probably designer, Tom Ford or Armani. Or maybe some other designer altogether; those two names were the only designers she knew of. And there was no denying that Ben Solo wore a suit well.  _ If only the personality... _

 

"There are no assistants here, so we all fend for ourselves. Everyone gets their own coffee and makes their own copies. Oh, and there's a microwave too. If you want to heat up your lunch." When she finished speaking she had to turn around to hide her snicker. There was no way in hell Ben Solo was going to be heating up leftovers in the microwave!  _ Did rich people ever even  _ have  _ leftovers? _

 

He spoke in clipped tones, "Thank you, Rey. That's very...helpful of you." The words made their way to her ears as she retreated from the kitchen towards her office, chuckling to herself the whole way.

 

A few minutes later he returned to his designated space in her office, a styrofoam coffee cup in hand. She gave herself a small satisfied smile.

 

"I know you were able to go through... _ everything _ on the Dropbox folder," she commented with a shake of her head. "Was there anything else you had questions on before we speak to Maz Kanata later this morning?"

 

"As a matter of fact, I do. On the list you compiled of people we need to call, in some cases, you have several different contacts listed. Why is that exactly?" his voice went up an octave in question.

 

"Well, it occurred to me that if we have to call almost all the vendors to confirm agreements, in some cases you may want to switch entirely to another supplier. Hux went with some...less desirable choices, against my advisement to the contrary."

 

His eyebrows rose up and he tilted his head in response. "Oh, really? And what makes you think your choices are better?"

 

She tried to not to take his tone personally, she really did. But the condescension she heard dripping from every syllable was like having a stick poked in her eye. Perhaps he didn't realize just how many 'bridezillas' she had worked with over the years.

 

"Experience. I have worked with all of the vendors Hux chose, as well as many others. Just because a vendor is the most 'popular' doesn't mean it's actually the 'best'," she elucidated calmly. "Hux went almost exclusively with the most popular vendors, without knowing how they work with the Kelvin. I make it a point to only work with the best. The ones that do the most for our clients and with the highest quality."

 

He pursed his lips and tapped his finger absentmindedly on the table as he considered her explanation.

 

"But if you're comfortable with all of Hux's choices…" her voice trailed agreeably, her hand waving to the side.

 

"Okay. We'll try some of your...suggestions," he nodded with a tight expression. "I used a lot of these vendors when I was a Production Manager, so I am actually familiar with them."

 

"Uh, huh. And how long ago was that exactly?"

 

"About eight years ago," was his steadfast reply.

 

"So it's been eight years since you've done the actual event planning?" she questioned with her eyebrows almost into her hairline. "You do know things change, yeah?"

 

"Of course I know things change," he snapped with a scowl.

 

"Well, I've been at the museum for five years and I used all of those vendors during my first year," she admitted. "I have found better vendors for each and every one of them."

 

"Well we'll see just how good your suggestions are, won't we?" was his smug reply. He turned his attention back to his laptop with a furrowed brow. 

 

********

 

When it was time for the conference call with Maz, Rey relocated to Ben's table, along with a copy of the call list of vendors. Ben explained about Hux trying to sabotage the project in order to make him look bad and hopefully get his job. They went through the original requirements and then the changes Hux had made. It turned out some of the changes were by Maz after all. She had increased the guest list, forcing the need for a larger tent, which in turn created the need for more powerful heaters, leading to more powerful electrical generators. 

 

Maz also changed some decoration requirements, but not to the degree that Hux's contracts indicated. Yes, she wanted fresh floral arrangements, but not the quantity listed, nor the prices. Hux had quadrupled the flower order. No ice sculptures were asked for, yet Hux had a contract for four of them. Finally, Maz had in fact added the cocktail hour to be held inside the museum prior to the party starting in the tent. 

 

By the end of the call, they were firm on the original requirements and the added changes Maz had asked for. Now they would have to contact all the vendors on Rey's list to verify which ones were still valid and which ones needed to be canceled. At the very end of the call, Maz berated Ben for creating his own mess.

 

"You know, Ben, if you had just run this Christmas party like I asked you to, you wouldn't be in this situation," she scolded him.

 

He gave a heavy sigh and rubbed his forehead. "Maz, I told you, I don't run events anymore. I haven't run events in years. We have Production Managers that do that for us."

 

"Yes, well, I asked you for a favor. And you couldn't be bothered to humor your dear old Aunt Maz!" she exclaimed in an offended tone.

 

Ben shook his head again and gave a pleading and exhausted look to Rey. She smiled at him sympathetically.

 

"Don't worry Ms. Kanata, he's in good hands now. You have nothing to worry about," she assured the older woman.

 

"Oh, please! Call me Maz. And thank you, Rey, dear. I've had my eye on your museum for a few years now and I am excited to finally get to see it for myself. I look forward to meeting you, dear."

 

"Thank you, Maz. We are delighted you chose the Kelvin for your event. I am very much looking forward to meeting you as well," Rey replied, slightly shaken by the fact that Maz had her eye on the museum. For years?

 

After the call ended, Rey glowered at Ben and snapped at him. 

 

"You said she was a family friend, not your aunt! You think maybe you could have mentioned that?"

 

"And that matters how exactly ?" he countered in an uncertain tone, looking at her with eyebrows squished together. She blinked at him, eyes like saucers and quickly closed her mouth.

 

She stared at him for a moment before, "I don't know! But it would have been nice to know! I don't like surprises," she groused, picking up her papers and stomping back to her desk.

 

"Yeah, well, welcome to the club! I didn't like the surprise that forced me to have to jump in and take over the grunt work on this project!" he barked back at her as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

"Well that's not my fault, Mr. Big Shot!" she snarled at him. "It's  _ your  _ subordinate that caused this mess, not me. And frankly, if I hadn't been so good at  _ my  _ job, doing the ' _ grunt work _ ' as you call it, you wouldn't have the foggiest clue where to start!"

 

He stared at her with hard obsidian irises and nostrils flaring, not speaking. She returned his gaze with just as much coldness, daring him to challenge her.

 

He dropped his head and with closed his lids, he ran a hand across his brow, heaving in and out a deep breath.

 

"You're right," he conceded quietly. He stood quickly, picking up his phone from the table and tucking it in his suit jacket pocket. "We should break for lunch." He then turned and walked out of the office. Rey's glare followed him as he left. She took in a deep breath and released it noisily. This was going to be a long day and an even longer month.

 

********

 

While Ben was out for lunch, Rey ate her salad at her desk and divvied up the list of vendors that needed to be called. The rest of the day went surprisingly smoothly. She half expected him to balk at the fact that he was expected to make just as many phone calls as she was, but he just nodded when he accepted the list from her. She suggested the best thing to do was to keep track of their calls on the shared Dropbox so they could both monitor their progress. Both of them were able to confirm a couple of vendors each, but with most of them, they had to leave messages and wait for return calls.

 

Around five-thirty, Rey began packing up for the day. Her colleague was still engrossed with his computer screen and was making no move to get ready to go. The museum had closed at five and they were the only ones remaining in the building. She tried to make some noise by closing some drawers loudly to get his attention. He finally turned and observed her.

 

"Time to go, I guess," he remarked, turning back to his laptop and closing it up.

 

"It's not worth making any more calls today because no one will be the office at this hour," was her reply as she finished filling her brief bag.

 

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He began organizing his materials to shove into his briefcase. They walked out of the building in silence and the tall man waited patiently while Rey did the final lockup. As they began to walk to the parking lot side by side, he cleared his throat.

 

"Listen, Rey," he started apprehensively. "I, uh...I wanted to...apologize for snapping at you this morning. I know this mess is just as much of a pain in the ass for you as it is for me. And we would be up shit's creek if you hadn't made copies of all those contracts from Hux. So, thank you." He only glanced at her a couple times and never once made eye contact as he walked and talked.

 

Rey's mouth dropped open and she practically did a double take jerking her head towards Ben as he uncomfortably worked his way through the apology. When they arrived at her car, chocolate eyes met hazel as they stopped and faced each other. 

She couldn't help the amused grin that materialized as the result of the internal snickering. It was so utterly and completely obvious he was grossly out of practice of making an apology by the way he was stumbling over his words. She decided she would throw him a bone. 

 

"Apology accepted. I am just as  _ aggravated  _ as you about the circumstances, but it is what it is," she returned, taking in his somewhat relieved expression at her easy acceptance. "Like I said, I don't like surprises so I keep copies of  _ everything  _ to avoid just that."

 

"Well, if you hadn't, Hux would've been able to make me look like a complete fool in front of my boss."

 

"I'm glad I could help. He seemed so nice every time we conversed, but I guess first impressions aren't always what they seem," she mused, tilting her head to the side and adjusting the strap on her shoulder.

 

"No, I guess not," he replied before shifting his gaze over her head. "Well, uh, I'll see you tomorrow." He moved toward his own vehicle, walking briskly. She heard the tell-tale beeps of a car alarm as she went to get in her car.

  
"Yeah, see you tomorrow," she called as he strode away from her. She chuckled to herself as she started up her car.  _ Well, that was interesting. Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the events in this story are "loosely" based on my friend's experience at a local-to-me small art museum. They had a celebrity wedding over the summer and some of the stuff in this story happened, not the crazy contract stuff I've cooked up, but things like the museum wanting to do the event even when she told them it wouldn't work. The issue with the generators (for air conditioners, not heaters), and a production manager coming out and finally saying: yeah, this isn't going to work. And my friend is like, um, yeah, that's what I've been telling you all along!
> 
> Come say hi on Tumblr [@greyforceuser](https://greyforceuser.tumblr.com/) or on Twitter [@forcegrey](https://twitter.com/ForceGrey)
> 
> (Yes I'm still on Tumblr. I'm still finding _plenty_ of Reylo stuff I like to look at! Gif sets, art, fanfics; it's all still there.)


	3. Making "Spirits" Bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben do some vendor "research". We find out what Ben's favorite martini is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is for one of the nicest people in the fandom, [@ria84](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ria84/pseuds/Ria84)
> 
> Thank you so much to [@fettuccine_alfreylo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fettuccine_alfreylo/pseuds/fettuccine_alfreylo) for being a wonderful beta!
> 
> Part of The Writing Den's Winter Fic Exchange, 2018.

The next day they worked tirelessly making phone calls and answering incoming calls, sorting out just what had been contracted for the event and what was fake. And as it turned out, quite a few contracts were phony; just unequivocally counterfeit. One of the sham ones was for the cocktail hour bartender, which was on Ben's list of calls.

 

"So there's a name and number on here for a bartender, Finn? It's just a first name and phone number. Is that someone you know?" he queried as he regarded her from the table.

 

She lifted her head up from her laptop to nod excitedly. "Yes! Finn's a friend of mine. He works at a martini bar a couple towns over and is an amazing mixologist."

 

"A mixologist? I didn't know that was a thing," was his skeptical response.

 

"Oh, it is. He's a bartender but has an incredible talent in creating his own line of cocktails," she explained enthusiastically. "When someone is as good as Finn and makes their own creations that customers go wild for, they gain the title mixologist."

 

"Would you mind if we sampled his work before extending an offer?" he asked cautiously.

 

"Absolutely! I promise you won't be disappointed. He's become pretty well known in the area in the last few years."

 

"You said he works at a martini bar nearby? Could we maybe…" his voice trailed off as he gestured with his hand.

 

"Oh, that's a great idea! I think he might be working tonight; let me text him and find out," she answered as she peered down at her phone, talking as she typed quickly. "And ask him if he is even free on the date of the party. He may have already been booked,"

 

Once done typing, she glanced up to find him chuckling at her. "What?"

 

He shook his head, still smiling. "Nothing. You're so animated over hiring a bartender. I'm just not used to working with someone who is actually excited about their job."

 

"Well, what's the point in being grumpy about it? The work still has to get done, and you get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar," she replied in mock rebuke. "So even when things are a pain, I try to find the bright side. Otherwise, what's the point?"

 

"Hmm," he hummed in reply just as her phone buzzed with a new message.

 

"Good news! He is available on the twenty-second and he's working tonight," she read off her phone before glancing up, beaming at Ben.

 

He cleared his throat before speaking. "Are you available tonight?"

 

"To sample Finn's cocktails? Absolutely!"

 

"Great, it's a date," he replied before he turned scarlet all the way to the tips of his ears as his gaze shot to hers with eyes round as coins. "Well, not a date. It's...ah...well, you know what I mean," he finished lamely.

 

She just laughed and focused her attention away. What she was surprised about was the disappointment she felt when he became embarrassed and declared going to Finn's bar was absolutely not a date. She knew he was well-to-do and ridiculously handsome, but was it really so hard to imagine going on a date with her? That stung more than she wanted to admit, and she really wasn't sure why that was.

 

They worked the rest of the day without much interaction, Ben making his calls and Rey making hers. As five o'clock approached, Ben was on a call that she could hear was becoming increasingly tense. He was talking to the vendor about the generator and she could hear the frustration in his voice that the person on the other end of the line just wasn't getting the concept he was trying to explain. When she heard him practically yell into the phone, she decided she needed to intervene for the sake of the project. She stepped over to him and touched his arm to get his attention, and he looked up at her with fury in his eyes.

 

"May I?" she whispered, holding out her hand for him to pass the phone to her. He pressed his lips together with a scowl but nodded and relinquished the phone.

 

"Hi, this is Rey Johnson at the Kelvin Ravine Museum. I am working with Mr. Solo on this project and couldn't help hearing that you're confused about what type of generators we want and the extra cables we need."

 

Ben sat back in his chair, rubbing his hand along his jaw and chin while she addressed the vendor. She strode back to her desk and typed on her laptop as she listened to the response from the other end.

 

"Yes, I can see where the confusion is. We did actually ask for smaller generators initially. I believe you spoke with Armitage Hux about that. Do you have the contract in front of you?" she asked kindly and listened to the reply for a few moments.

 

"Unfortunately Mr. Hux has become very ill and Mr. Solo at First Order Events is picking up the project." Rey glanced up at Ben whose eyebrows rose at her comment. "The client has requested some last minute changes and we weren't sure if Mr. Hux had discussed those with you before he went on leave."

 

She was silent for several moments as the person on the other line spoke at length.

 

"I'm sorry this has been so confusing. And I completely understand the contract you have in front of you notes a smaller sized generator. What we need to do at this point is null and void the current contract and engage in a new one with a higher output generator," she explained carefully. She gave him the name of the generator they needed and also explained the need for cables to run the generator from the parking lot. The vendor balked at the added cables and said they would need to charge a premium for an under a 30-day change to the original request.

 

"I understand that may be your policy, but as I look at my records, the last time the Kelvin asked for a bid from your company, your price was too high and we went with a competitor. I'd very much like to honor the fact that we had originally contracted with you for the generators, but not at the price you are proposing. That's a cost we just can't justify to the client. Not when we won't be charged that premium from the vendor more commonly used by the Kelvin. So it's really up to you, that is if you want the business."

 

She glanced up at Ben, whose expression had become soft, his lips parted and eyes like dinner plates. He was listening and watching with rapt attention as he leaned forward. She listened to the vendor's response attentively as she met the dark gaze observing her. After a few moments, she began to smile and nod at Ben.

 

"I'm so glad you asked your supervisor if the premium could be waived. We really hate to make so many changes this close to the event, but it was just completely unavoidable. I'll draw up the First Order contract and send it over by email first thing tomorrow. Thank you so much for being flexible. I'm thrilled we could make this work," she remarked before saying goodbye and ending the call.

 

Ben just gawked at her, mouth still agape and shaking his head.

 

"That was...amazing, Rey. Truly impressive. You worked that guy like he was in the palm of your hand the entire time!" he exclaimed.

 

"Thank you, Ben. Like I said, no use being grumpy about it," she preened with a dazzling smile. She arose from her chair to return his phone. She held it out for him and he stood up and took a step towards her. They were now standing exceptionally close to each other. So close she got a whiff of his cologne, which was was scented like wood, black tea, and suede. Whatever brand it was, it was her new favorite. She tried and failed to push that thought away.

 

He used his whole hand to take his phone back, enveloping hers while doing so. And he held onto her hand for a surprising amount of time, causing Rey to look up at his face. As he looked down at her, she could swear his stare had landed on her lips momentarily.

 

There was an unexpected fluttering in her stomach as he regarded her and her hand felt scalded where their skin touched. She had the sense that a jolt of electricity raced through her body when she saw his eyes dip to her mouth. And as if on cue, her mouth went dry and her tongue darted out to wet her parted lips.

 

"Thank you. You handled that like a pro," he praised softly, his voice deeper than she'd heard it before. She couldn't help but peek at _his_ plush lips and wonder what it would be like to feel them against hers.

 

A loud voice from the hallway caused them to startle and separate as they were jerked from the heated moment back to reality. She quickly turned towards her desk, her face feeling like it was aflame. Ben turned back to his laptop, placing his phone in his suit jacket.

 

"Front is all locked up! I'm heading out!" the voice echoed through the hall. She answered back while trying to will the flush on her face to recede.

 

"Finn said he starts at six, so if you want to get a little more done beforehand, we could leave around a quarter till?" she suggested.

 

"Sounds good," was the gruff reply.

 

For the next forty-five minutes, he did not turn around at all, which was fine with her. It gave plenty of time for her red cheeks to return to their normal color. She couldn't help but wonder if he remained facing away for the same reason. Without speaking they both began packing up at the appointed time and headed for the exit. He waited again for her to finish locking up before they walked to her car.

 

"Would it be easier if we just went in the same car, rather than both of us driving over?" he suggested cooly. "I mean, I have to come back in this direction to head back to the city anyway. If you want to ride with me, that is."

 

She had never ridden in a BMW before and it was likely the opportunity wouldn't be coming around again very soon. Luxury cars were just not abundant in her circle of friends.

 

"Sure, that sounds great. Let me just drop off my bag." She tossed her bag in the backseat before locking her vehicle and following Ben to his car. She noted that he shortened his strides to match her smaller ones. He also went around to the passenger side to open her door for her before placing his own briefcase in the back and sliding into the driver's seat.

 

He started the car and drove over to the exit.

 

"Where to?"

 

"Oh! Right!" she exclaimed, forgetting he didn't know where they were going while she was enjoying the luxuriousness of the BMW. She directed him to the martini bar while they chatted about some of the scenery they passed by. There were various businesses she pointed out that she'd used for events at the Kelvin. She explained that she tried to use local small businesses as much as possible. And that using one small business invariably led to learning about others.

 

He listened to her chatter intensely as if hanging onto her every word.

 

"You are really good at your job," he commended her. "I have to admit, I had my doubts when Maz insisted on using such a small venue; but you're better than any of the production managers _and_ project directors at the First Order."

 

"Thank you...I think," she replied dubiously.

 

"No, I'm serious. I mean it as a compliment. The way you've handled...everything thrown at you with unwavering confidence and calm. It's admirable."

 

"Just because a business is small, doesn't mean it doesn't employ good people, Ben," she replied with more indignation than she meant to.

 

"I know. I'm sorry, I really _was_ trying to give you a compliment," was his response as he pulled his sight from the road momentarily to peer at her.

 

"I get a little touchy about bigger always being better. It's not. Sometimes you find the perfect gem in the most unexpected places." She returned her gaze out the window.

 

"So I'm learning." He agreed as he took another glance at her, smiling the entire time.

 

*********

 

Although the tables in the lounge were already crowded, they were able to find two seats at the bar. As they settled onto their stools, a dark-skinned man with a bright smile approached them.

 

"Peanut!" the bartender exclaimed and he leaned over to give Rey a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so happy you came by tonight."

 

"Hi Finn!" she replied cheerfully before gesturing to the man next to her. "Finn this is Ben. He is in charge of the event on the twenty-second I told you about. We thought we would come by so he could sample some of your cocktails."

 

The two men exchanged a handshake and greeted each other. "Great! Thanks for the opportunity, man. So what can I get ya?" Finn questioned as he laid out cocktail napkins in front of them.

 

"Why don't you split a couple basic ones between us, and maybe a couple of your signature creations?" she proposed, looking to Ben for approval.

 

"Sounds good," he confirmed with a nod and smile.

 

"Okay, I'll be right back," was Finn's answer as he tapped on the bar and moved away to begin preparing the cocktails.

 

The dark haired man sitting next to her cleared his throat once they were alone, attracting Rey's attention.

 

"So how do you know Finn?" he asked with some trepidation in his voice.

 

"He's a friend of Poe's, my boss. They've known each other a long time, but I only met Finn after I started working at the Kelvin."

 

"And you two are...close?" As Rey peered over at Ben, she noticed his neck was bent and he was avoiding eye contact, his hands fidgeting on his thighs.

 

"Yes, I guess we are. I mean, he's one of my best friends."

 

Just as she started to wonder what Ben was trying to get at, Finn appeared with their first drink.

 

"So I have here the basic cosmopolitan," he explained. "Let me know what you think."

 

Rey held up her glass towards Ben. "Cheers!" He responded in kind with a smirk as he watched her sip the beverage first.

 

"Mmm, so good," she exclaimed, her lids closed in rapture. He chuckled lightly in response.

 

"That good, huh?" he commented before taking a sip of his own.

After swallowing, he looked over at Rey again as she watched him try a taste. "Mmm, you're right. This is really good. Not too sweet, not too strong."

 

"I told you. Nobody is better than Finn," she answered, beaming at him.

 

"Well I guess if we are going to be trying more drinks, we should probably get something to eat, too," he prompted, pointing to the food menu on the bar.

 

"That's probably a really good idea. Lord knows I'm a lightweight."

 

For the next two hours or so, Rey and Ben tasted the martinis and cocktails Finn made for them, often not finishing them knowing there would be a new one to try moments later.  They split several tapas plates of food and discussed at length the merits of calling something "tapas" versus "appetizer".

 

They traded "bridezilla" stories from weddings they had to coordinate and laughed together at some of the absurd demands brides had over the years. He made her laugh several times with stories about Hux and various mishaps that seem to occur around him. Apparently, Hux had no idea he was the butt end of many office pranks by his colleagues because of the outrageous indignation he displayed when the pranks were successful.

 

As Ben was finishing the most recent prank from the office, Rey interrupted him with a startled look.

 

"Oh my God!"

 

"What is it?" he asked, his body stiff, his eyes narrowed and concentrated on her.

 

"If Hux was able to hide all the phony contracts, what if he was able to hide valid ones?"

 

"Shit," he muttered as he slid his hand across his jaw and looked away. "You're right."

 

"We could have vendors arriving on the day of the party that we know nothing about," she hypothesized. "Do you have a tech person or something at your office that could check his computer?"

 

"Yeah, Mitaka. I should probably go into the home office tomorrow and have him scan all the networks and Hux's computer. Hopefully, Hux is dumb enough to have it all on his laptop."

 

"Well, at some point this whole mess will be just another funny story," she ventured feebly with a slight smile.

 

He laughed and shook his head. "Always looking for the bright side, aren't you?"

 

She giggled, "What's wrong with that?" She stared at him as he leaned in closer to her.

 

"Nothing. In fact, it's refreshing. If I got to work with you every day, I wouldn't hate going into the office so much," he answered, the mirth now gone. His dark orbs bore into hers and her breath became shallow. She thought it might be longing she saw in his gaze but almost as soon as it appeared, he cleared his throat and turned back towards the bar, taking his alluring eyes with him.

 

Rey wasn't quite sure what to do with that last statement, so she said nothing. And in near perfect timing Finn arrived in front of them, excited to hear the results of the tasting.

 

"So, what did you think?"

 

"I think Rey was right, as I'm starting to gather she usually is," Ben responded with a smirk and quick glimpse of Rey. "So you're interested in the job on the twenty-second?"

 

"Absolutely!" Finn exclaimed and stuck out his hand towards Ben. They shook hands while Rey looked on with an excited smile.

 

"What's your going rate?" Ben asked, getting down to the business side of things.

 

Finn shifted his gaze to Rey and shrugged his shoulders. "Should we just do the usual?"

 

"Yes, but the rate for supplies will be higher because all the liquors will need to be top shelf. It's going to be a very rich crowd. We'll get together over the next couple of days and iron out the details, yeah?"

 

"Sounds good peanut," answered Finn with a smile. He then nodded his head towards Ben. "So did you like that last martini? It's a special one I made up. It's called "the Rey", sweet and salty, just like her," he laughed while dodging a slap from Rey.

 

"Hush, you!" she chortled at him. "Although, it _is_ my favorite one of yours now." She took a peek at Ben and he was smiling broadly, just watching her.

 

"Well, then I guess it's my favorite now, too," Ben remarked in a low voice, a flicker of something in his eyes she couldn't put a name to. He turned away from her startled gaze and asked Finn to bring the check.

 

Rey took off for the ladies room wondering if she was correctly reading signals she was picking up from Ben, or if she was completely imagining it. He'd been very complimentary to her since the outburst he had the previous day. And while they chatted, there were several times when his eyes seemed to just burn into hers as if searching for something. Each time it happened, her breath hitched in her chest. She supposed he might have been just making small talk, but he seemed somewhat relieved after she stated Finn was just her friend. Was he wondering if Finn was her boyfriend? Was he glad she _didn't_ have a boyfriend? She wasn't sure what to do with those thoughts at the moment.

 

When she'd first met Ben he was rude and condescending, but now...now he was much kinder and calmer with her. And on top of that, she had actually enjoyed spending time with him tonight; she liked seeing him smile and hearing him laugh. That was definitely unexpected. She was used to the perpetual scowl on his face, but that devilish smirk she saw several times tonight made her tummy do funny things. And those eyes, she could get lost in those eyes and never find her way out again. And she would be perfectly fine with it.

 

When she returned to the bar, Ben was just finishing up with the bill.

 

"Oh! I wanted to split the bill with you," she pouted.

 

"Absolutely not. Honestly, Rey, it's the least I can do for everything you've been doing to help me dig myself out of this hole," he asserted. "And quite frankly, this is the most enjoyable evening I've had in...I can't remember how long."

 

"Oh, well, okay. I like coming here too, it's got a great atmosphere," she replied, unsure of how to respond to his declaration.

 

"I'm pretty sure it was the company, Rey," he informed her with that same smirk that haunted her all evening. He motioned to head towards the exit and deposited his warm hand on the small of her back, guiding her out the door and to his car. The entire time, Rey was practically hyperventilating with his hand scorching her back through the thin material of her blouse. She was relieved when his hand fell away as he opened the door for her. She could finally think straight again.

 

The car ride was quiet as they made their way back to the museum. It was Ben who finally broke the silence.

 

"I won't be coming to the museum for the next couple of days. I need to be in the office to figure out if Hux has anything on his laptop. Then I have a potential new client my boss notified me about earlier today," he enlightened her.

 

"Oh, that's okay. We've made great progress so far. And you can just update Dropbox if you get any return calls. I'll make sure to keep an eye on it," was her lackluster response.

 

"Right." His voice was tight and controlled. The rest of the journey was soundless except for the purr of the luxury car's engine. Rey directed him back to the museum and he pulled in next to her car. Ben got out of the car and opened her door for her and put his hand on her back again, steering her to the driver's side of her vehicle.

 

She unlocked her door and he reached around her waist to open the door for her, trapping her up against his body until the door swung open. He stood there holding the door open with one hand while the other rested on the roof of the car. She was in the center of the small triangle created by the car, the door and the enormous man in front of her.

 

"Thank you for all your help today," he said seriously as he considered her from above.

 

"You-You're welcome," she replied softly, her heart fluttering. Even though it was dark, she had the sense that his eyes were ablaze again and the thought of it made heat coil low in her belly.

 

"And I really enjoyed going to your friend's bar, with you," his voice lowered another octave or two.

 

She felt like she might be lightheaded enough to just float away. "Me too."

 

He stared at her for a few moments longer before taking a step back to allow her to enter her car.  She started the engine and shifted her sight back to him. He was still standing holding the door open.

 

"Text me when you get home? So I know you arrived safely?" he commanded more than asked.

 

"Only if you do the same," was her smiling response.

 

He agreed and said goodnight before returning to his own car. He waited until she pulled out of her parking space and then followed behind her to the main road where they each went in different directions.

 

Rey was smiling the entire time, feeling giddy about what transpired between the two of them even as she was massively confused. This working arrangement had started out like a nightmare but was rapidly turning into something much, much better. What it was, she wasn't sure. But she was becoming increasingly interested in finding out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi on Tumblr [@greyforceuser](https://greyforceuser.tumblr.com/) or on Twitter [@forcegrey](https://twitter.com/ForceGrey)


	4. Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben has to work at the home office to search for the fraudulent Hux contracts and isn't very happy about it. Rey finalizes the cocktail hour with Finn and learns something interesting. When Ben returns to the museum, sparks start flying between them. And a very special guest star makes an appearance.
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day my fellow Reylos! This one is for you!💋💋💋💘💘💘

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is for one of the nicest people in the fandom, [@ria84](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ria84/pseuds/Ria84). I hope you are enjoying your story, dear!💗
> 
> Thank you so much to [@fettuccine_alfreylo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fettuccine_alfreylo/pseuds/fettuccine_alfreylo) for being a wonderful beta and turning this chapter around so quickly!!
> 
> Part of The Writing Den's Winter Fic Exchange, 2018.

 

Chapter 4: Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

 

The office was buzzing as Ben walked through the hallway to his office. There was a lot on his agenda to get done today. His office door made a loud noise as he kicked it closed behind him, his hands full; one with his briefcase and one with his coffee. Putting down the coffee by his desk phone first, he laid his laptop case on the desk to pull it out and place it in the center.

 

First on the to-do list was to get Mitaka to help him with the Hux situation. He used his office phone to call him to his office. With no answer at his desk, Ben took to email and instant messaged him. Just a few minutes went by before the laptop pinged with an incoming message. The tech specialist was in a meeting until ten o'clock and would come by Ben's office then.

 

The senior project director grunted at the message. He was already in a foul mood that he had to come into the office today, to begin with. He would much rather have been reporting to the museum for work today. The company there was significantly more palatable than here. Especially knowing that at the museum, there was no chance of running into his nemesis and throttling him before he got the chance to turn the tables on him. More importantly, the view was a lot better in Rey's office. 

 

Ben had one of the nicest offices in the First Order Events office space in the luxurious high rise with floor-to-ceiling windows on one side overlooking busy Coruscant. He would still rather be sitting at the small conference table at the Kelvin than here. And there was only one reason: Rey Johnson.

 

The woman had definitely gotten under his skin and in a very unexpected way. By and large, Ben didn't really date. He was focused on work, which became significantly more demanding on his time once he was promoted to senior project director two years prior. He’d certainly met his share of attractive women through his job, he just hadn't felt inclined to ask any of them out or pursue anything. Plus getting involved with either current or former clients just made for messy situations best avoided. Snoke had made that very clear that their reputation for excellence was how they continued to be so successful. Not only did Ben consider it a bad idea to date a client or former client, Snoke forbade it.

 

That never posed a problem for him in the slightest. Of course, since he rarely socialized outside of work, that limited his exposure and access to women. Which again he didn't really mind. He traveled a lot for his job and was career focused. That had always been enough for Ben, working to get ahead, to get that next promotion.

 

The fact that he was utterly flustered by Rey Johnson the first time he met her at the Museum five months ago took him by great surprise. She made him feel like that awkward teenager again, and he  _ hated  _ that. He knew he had been a bit of an ass that day but it was the only way he could keep from letting her get to him. Those gorgeous hazel eyes were transcendental and perfect bow lips tantalizing. Not to mention her supple figure when he followed behind her and Poe as they gave him the grand tour of the museum. She had a very feminine sway to her hips and he was sure each globe of her delectable ass would fit perfectly into his hands.

 

These were not the types of thoughts he should have about a client, so acting chauvinistic was his best weapon to defend against her. After signing the contracts, Ben was only too happy to pass off the work to a product manager. The less he had to do with the enticing Rey Johnson, the better as far as he was concerned. Being in the middle of a large profile project just then, he didn't need the distraction nor the aggravation. Yes, he had promised Maz he would do the planning himself, but upon further consideration, assigning Hux was the best option.

 

That was until he got the call from one of the vendors the day after Thanksgiving. He naturally assumed the problem was with the museum, hence when he called Poe, he was less than pleasant with him. He was pleased that Rey came into the office right away, especially given it was her day off. Seeing her when she arrived at the museum completely discombobulated him again. He continued to be rather gruff, yet she was patient and kind going through all her documents and reviewing things with him. It just would have been so much easier for him if it had been her that messed up and not Hux. Then he could be mad at her for real rather than conjuring it because of the confounded way she made him feel.

 

He was still holding out hope as he went over everything she shared with him on the Dropbox folder that weekend. But every minute that went by, he knew the likelihood of this clearly more than competent woman had made a mistake diminished. There was no question that Hux was gunning for his job.

 

The pressure of everything finally got to him on Monday morning after the conference call with Maz when Rey snapped at him. He was quite shocked when she yelled back at him from his outburst; no one spoke to him that way. His temper was famous in the halls of the First Order, but no one had ever dared take out their frustration on him like that. He was more than a little turned on by it, to tell the truth. Rey was singular and he was going to have to apologize and change his behavior with her if he was going to gain her respect, something he realized he was terribly desperate for.

 

He swallowed his pride and apologized. Remarkably, he felt worlds lighter after doing so. Rey, ever the consummate professional, accepted his apology with ease. Now, having lowered his shields for a couple days, he found he was thoroughly smitten with her. She was vibrant, charming, intelligent, gorgeous, funny, independent, capable, sexy...plus many more favorable adjectives he could apply to her. In short, he knew he was doomed.

 

At the end of the evening the night before, he wasn't entirely sure if the attraction was one-sided or not. He certainly noticed her giving him some looks and flushing a bit at different comments he made over the night. The conversation with the bartender friend, Finn, while Rey went to the ladies room hinted that it might be more than one-sided. He thought she trembled when he put his hand on her back to lead her out of the bar. There was definitely tension for  _ him  _ in the car as they drove back to the museum. He had done all he could do not to kiss her when he helped her into her car. He was kind of waiting for a sign from her, or maybe waiting for  _ her  _ to make the first move would be a more accurate description. One thing he was sure of, he was anxious to get the work done he needed to in Coruscant over the next couple days so he could get back out to the museum.

 

A knock on Ben's door interrupted his musings. After bidding entrance, Mitaka walked in and sat down in a seat across from Ben's desk.

 

"First off, Mitaka, what we're going to talk about is confidential. Strictly between me and you. You cannot tell  _ anyone  _ in the First Order about this. Understand?" His expression informed the other man of the seriousness of the situation. 

 

"Understood."

 

"I've discovered a Product Manager has been sabotaging one of my projects and I need your help to find any files he may have on the network or on the hard drive of his computer," he disclosed, a grim twist to his mouth.

 

"Oh, wow!" the tech expert reacted as Ben expected. "Why would someone want to sabotage a project? Doesn't it hurt them too?" 

 

"I presume he's gunning for my job. My name is on all the contracts, so if it's a disaster, it'll be my fault. And Snoke will either demote me or fire me. Either way, a Senior Project Manager position opens up." 

 

Mitaka nodded in understanding, his mouth forming an 'o' shape.

 

"Fortunately, I discovered it and have taken steps to put the project back on track," he expounded with a sigh. "The event manager at the venue kept copies of all the contracts of what is seemingly happening, but they don't appear in the client folder on our network where they should be. I need to find them to prove he doctored everything in an attempt to subvert the project. But I also need to find out if he has any other contracts out there that he may have hidden to prevent any… _ unwelcome surprises _ the day of the event."

 

"I can write a script to search all the network drives and use different variables to find everything related to the client. I can also use the ISP address of…" Mitaka raised his brow in question.

 

"Hux," Ben replied, his lips pressed together in a line.

 

"Of Hux and find anything he's done on the network. Searching the hard drive of his computer is a bit trickier. I either have to be right on his computer to run the searches or take it over using remote access. In either case, he can't be using the computer or looking at it."

 

"How long do you need to be on his computer?" the raven-haired man queried.

 

The man across from him tilted his head with a thoughtful expression. "Half-hour tops."

 

"I'll make sure he has a meeting and ping you when he's in the conference room," Ben said.

 

********

 

Finn was cleaning glasses at the bar when Rey walked in at four o'clock, the bar just opening for the evening. She had her laptop with her so they could go over the contract for the Maz Kanata event. 

 

"Hey, Finn!" she called as she wove her way through the tables toward the bar.

 

"Peanut!" he replied. "Glad you're here. Are you able to stay a while after we're done talking business?"

 

"Just for a bit. We have a guest artist coming in for special tomorrow night and I have to get back to finish some prep," the hazel-eyed woman answered.

 

She pulled out her laptop and they discussed the details of the cocktail hour. All events at the Kelvin were on the fancy and formal side of things, but this event was more so than usual. The contract would be for more money because of top-shelf liquor costs.

 

After they worked out all the particulars, Rey put her laptop away and ordered something to eat.

 

"So... _ Ben _ seemed nice," the bartender solicited, emphasizing the name.

 

Rey tried to be nonchalant. "Oh yeah, he's okay. Actually, he was a major pain in the ass at the beginning and I thought he was going to put me through the wringer on this event," she explained with a shrug of her shoulders. "But he's settled down and things have been smoother."

 

"I'll bet," Finn snorted.

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, eyes widening. She could feel the warmth start to spread across her cheeks.

 

"Really, Rey?" He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head. "That's how you're gonna play? I saw the way you two looked at each other."

 

Now her cheeks were on fire. "What?" her voice shrilled. "You're imagining things, Finn."

 

"Pretty sure I'm not, Peanut. 'It's my favorite drink now, too?'" he used air-quotes to underscore the comment from Ben.

 

"It's a good drink. Why wouldn't it be his favorite?" she countered with a shake of her head.

 

"Sorry. I'm not buying what you're selling, lady," her friend confirmed. "But don't worry, I gave him  _ the talk _ ."

 

Her eyes went round as saucers, her mouth dropping open. "What do you mean, the talk?" she demanded, her voice lowered.

 

"The friend talk. You know, the one where I tell him that his ass is grass and I'm the lawnmower if he does anything to hurt you," was Finn's smug reply, a knowing smile crossing his countenance.

 

"Oh,  _ God _ ." Rey covered her face with both hands, her voice full of dread as she added through her hands, "Please tell me you didn't."

 

"Oh, I did," he acknowledged, the mirth evident in his voice. Then he placed both hands on the bar and leaned in closer to her. "Surprisingly, it didn't bother him in the slightest."

 

Rey slowly lifted her head to look at her friend, her shoulders and eyelids drooped; defeat evident.

 

"Nope, not a ruffled feather. He just smiled and said, 'there's no boyfriend then'," Finn's smirk was absolutely sinful. He let that sink in before adding, "We had a few more words. He even said you were lucky to have such a good friend looking out for you."

 

She knew her cheeks must be scarlet by now. She was so incredibly embarrassed by her best friend. Why, oh why, couldn't he just have minded his own beeswax? She sat shaking her head at him, closing her eyes in misery.

 

"I can't believe you. Why do you love torturing me so much?" she griped.

 

"Oh, please!" he rebuked, waving a hand at her as he backed up from the bar. "I did you a favor. Now he knows you're available and you know he's interested. You're not seriously going to keep on denying you're into him, are you?"

 

"Finn, I have to work with him. It doesn't matter if I'm into him. I have a job to do." He was exasperating.

 

"Yeah, but you won't be working with him after the twenty-second, once the party is over. You'll be free and clear to do whatever you want," he asserted, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. 

 

"Don't you have some drinks to make or something?" she glowered at him.

 

"It's all fine, Rey. You'll thank me later. You'll see," he laughed as he turned to get back to work.

 

She was fifty-fifty on that sentiment at the moment. She did, however, find the conversation that her friend and Ben engaged in to be quite intriguing. It sounded like Finn gave her only the highlights and that made her a bit worrisome about what else he might have said. She had to agree it sounded like Ben was interested in her, though. A fact that put a small smile on her lips once her friend's back was turned. Maybe she hadn't imagined the looks he had given her the previous evening, nor that sense he was about to kiss her when he helped her into her car. She wasn't sure if she was excited or nervous about seeing him again.

 

********

 

It was late in the afternoon when the tech expert entered Ben's office again, closing the door behind him.

 

"Did you find anything?" Ben asked anxiously.

 

"I'm afraid not. I did a thorough search of his computer and on the network and I didn’t find anything outside of the client folder. I'm sorry," replied a regretful Mitaka.

 

"Damn it!" the director exclaimed, slamming his fist on the desk.

 

"There's something else I can try, though," Mitaka offered eagerly.

 

"Go on."

 

"Hux is set up for remote access on his home computer to get into the networks here. I can use the VPN connection to take over his computer at home to search there as well. His computer just has to be powered on for me to do that," the tech-savvy young man explained.

 

"You can search his home computer from here?" Ben probed, a tentative smile beginning.

 

"I can tell him I need him to leave his home PC on during the day tomorrow for a software update and run the search then," Mitaka suggested. "He was smart enough not to have anything here to find, but he probably has no idea I can get into his home computer. I'd bet a week's worth of pay that's where the documents will be."

 

"Do it."

 

*********

 

Rey was typing up some notes from her last call, casting a quick glance at her handsome officemate. Today he was sitting with his back to the wall, facing in her direction. This was a distinct departure from the first few times he worked at the small table in her office when his back was to her. It was a bit unsettling because she kept getting caught looking when she thought she was being inconspicuous. After he met her gaze a few times, he finally smiled at her and she flushed. She demurely returned the gesture before taking a sip of her tea and returning to her work.

 

Her tea today was exceptional. Probably the best tea she drank all week, or maybe all month, even. Today, her tea did not come from the Keurig machine in the kitchen. No, today her tea was waiting for her in the hands of one Ben Solo, who was waiting in the parking lot as she pulled in. She was aware he would be at the museum today since he confirmed it with her the night before via text. He did not mention he was going to bring her tea. And to her great surprise, her tea order was perfect: black tea with a bit of milk and sugar. Evidently, the man had been paying attention to how she took her tea the few days he was here.

 

He was already emerging from his BMW while she drove over to where they usually parked. He appeared in a very good mood that morning, holding a beverage tray with two drinks and a gleaming smile. She knew the good mood was because his tech support guy found all the fake documents the previous day. Ben texted her with updates on the Hux situation for the last two days. He said they searched Hux's computer at work and came up with nothing. To which Ben admitted being very frustrated about. Then he said they could tap into Hux's home computer and search that remotely. Rey had no idea how it all worked, but the effort was rewarded when they found every single one of the forged documents. They found no sign of any additional contracts they were not aware of. Both of them were relieved at the discovery.

 

Now here he was, back in Rey's office. Looking devastatingly handsome in his designer suit. She took another sip of her delicious tea.

 

They ordered some sandwiches for lunch and sat at the little table together, eating and talking. Ben told her about the event he had to go to over the coming weekend and how he was dreading it. That brought up a discussion about their favored types of events versus the ones they hated. He absolutely hated wedding events whereas she loved them. Yes, the brides and families could sometimes be tough, but by and large, they were enjoyable, happy events. Their conversation went on well past the hour for lunch they should have taken, and they sheepishly got back to work when Rey's phone rang and they realized the time.

 

Once the museum closed for the day, they packed up and left the office together. Ben said he would be back to the museum on Monday and they wished each other a nice weekend. And that was that. She got into her car feeling on the disappointed side of things.

 

********

 

She found him waiting in the parking lot, again with two beverages and a welcoming smile on Monday morning. She decided that being both excited  _ and  _ nervous was how she was going to feel about seeing him from now on. And more than a little pleased with him bringing her tea.

 

That's how every morning began that week. Ben already in the parking lot with drinks. They continued to work on Maz's event, having various discussions as they finally connected with vendors and finalized various details. She also heard him on the phone regarding other projects. In fact, on some days, it seemed he worked less on the museum event and more on other things.

 

He even asked her advice on a particular quandary regarding a future event's set-up. The client insisted they wanted a very specific set up and the venue refused, stating it was a fire hazard. They brainstormed some ideas together, looking at the layout of the venue until Rey came up with a compromise for the client that presented no safety issues to the venue. It was decidedly out of the box thinking and Ben had been thoroughly impressed. She was rewarded for her creativity with one of his winning smiles that revealed the dimples in his cheeks. Rey wasn't sure she had blushed so much in her life as she had in the past couple weeks.

 

They both fell into a very comfortable rhythm of working together that week. One evening, Rey had to work late for a poetry reading. Students from one of the local high schools had been sponsored by their PTO to have their event at the museum and Poe was always very generous to students interested in the arts. He would offer discounted rates to get students into the Kelvin and expose them to the art there, along with their parents and friends. The symbiosis between the museum and the surrounding community was one of the things she especially loved about working at the museum.

 

Ben seemed reticent about leaving at the usual time that night. Almost as if he was undecided if he should stay and help. In the end, he decided to stay and did help with the minor setup she needed to do for the students. After that, he remained in the back while Rey interacted with the students and facilitated the readings. Following the readings, there was an area set up with a few refreshments the teenagers brought in.

 

As things were wrapping up, Ben approached Rey.

 

"That was impressive. Some of that was actually pretty good," he commented jovially and with a smirk.

 

"They were, weren't they? I love when the students come and get exposed to the art here," she replied smiling back. "Most of the time it's the first opportunity they've had to come inside, then they come back so they can really look around."

 

His eyes gleamed as he assessed her thoughtfully. "You're really good with them." His gaze turned intense as he spoke quietly, "It seems like there isn't anything you can't do." 

 

She laughed even while she had a tingle in her chest at the fire in his eyes. "Well, you should try my cooking. That is definitely something I don't do well," she joked, trying to lighten the tension that just rose like smoke between them.

 

He huffed a small laugh, but the tension was still there, along with the smoldering stare.

 

"Maybe I will," was his heated response.

 

A warmth rose in her cheeks and she was mesmerized. She barely registered what he'd just said.

 

"Huh?"

 

He took a step closer until they were barely inches apart, his gaze still boring into hers. She felt the heat of his body from his nearness. Or was that heat from her body? She wasn't sure whether it was from him or her, but she knew she was feeling decidedly  _ warmer _ .

 

"Try your cooking. That is if you invite me to," he murmured in that sultry baritone.

 

"Oh," is all she could manage when his sight dipped to her lips. Her heart was beating so hard she could swear he must be able to hear it by now. It felt as if the blood in her veins had been ignited for her whole body felt ablaze now.  _ How was this man able to make her feel like this so acutely? _

 

"Rey!" a teenager's voice rang out. Rey quickly stepped out of the orbit of the alluring and intimidating man before her and turned toward the intruding voice.  

 

"Sally," she replied a bit shakily before inhaling a deep breath. Sally was the president of the Poetry Club that hosted the reading, along with the teacher.

 

"I just wanted to thank you again for having us here tonight! I think it went really well!" the young girl exclaimed.

 

"It did! You had a great turnout and I'm so glad we could have your Poetry Club here," Rey responded with her usual friendly smile. The two walked away towards the teacher, leaving Ben behind to watch.

 

She conversed with a number of the students and parents present before the teacher had the students start the cleanup of the refreshments and trash. Another fifteen minutes later, students and families began leaving and it wasn't long after that Rey was finally able to close up and lock the doors of the front of the museum.

 

Now alone, Rey and Ben went back to her office and finished packing up their belongings to leave. They didn't speak much as she set the electronic alarm and then locked the doors. He waited patiently until she finished, then they turned to head to the parking lot.

 

"I'm glad I stayed for that," the tall man remarked. "It was nice."

 

"Yeah, the kids are great. The Kelvin has always been interested in giving back to the community. It's one of the things I love about it."

 

He walked her to her car, as he always did, and opened the door once she unlocked it. She tossed her bag to the passenger seat and turned back to him to say goodnight. He stood holding the door, staring at her. His eyes appeared obsidian outside in the dark of the December night. She felt her stomach clench as he moved closer and she could fully see the desire flaring in his orbs. This time it was her gaze drifting to  _ his  _ lips that kindled the flames licking her insides, her own lips parting in response to her internal craving. 

 

She glanced up only to see him now focused on  _ her  _ mouth and leaning in closer. His hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb tilting her chin up ever so slightly. She had plenty of time to stop his slow descent upon her, but  _ she did not want to _ . Finally, his lips pressed on hers lightly. As gentle as the kiss was, she felt what could only be described as a jolt of electricity exploding through her veins from the touch of his lips. His mouth continued its tender movement against hers, his pressure increasing only slightly. She let out a breathy sigh as he trailed his plush lips across hers and she tried to match his movements to prolong the searing kiss.

 

The kiss ended when Ben pulled back from her, yet he remained close enough to get a good look at her rosy cheeks and her glistening lips. She heard him take in a ragged breath as she searched his expression to find out if he was as affected as she was. The answer was yes, he appeared to be as much in awe of what just occurred between them. Rey was positive she had never experienced this kind of exhilaration and arousal from such a simple kiss before. Yet that is exactly how she felt, along with being speechless as she continued to gape at him.

 

Although just as mute as her, he seemed to come back to himself sooner, dropping his hand and stepping back from her. His eyes were still wide and completely black, and he swallowed, drawing her eyes to his larynx as it bobbed in his throat.

 

He was the first to speak. "I should probably let you get going." His voice sounded hoarse and he couldn't seem to make up his mind what he wanted to look at, her eyes or her lips.

 

"Yeah," she croaked, her own voice breaking as she spoke. "It's getting late." She managed to summon a small smile for him and he returned it immediately. 

 

"I'll see you in the morning?"

 

She beamed at him saying, "Yes. See you in the morning."

 

"Good night, Rey," was his response, a resplendent smile on his face. She felt her heart flutter at the sight.

 

She finally slid into the driver's seat, looking up at him and he closed the door for her. Her heart had still not returned to its normal pace after their interlude and that grin of his did nothing to help with that. He waited for her to pull out before departing himself. She thought about the kiss her entire way home, occasionally running her fingers over her lips, trying to understand the tingle she experienced when his lips first touched hers. 

 

She was still thinking about it when her head hit the pillow an hour later.

 

********

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are like gold, precious and to be treasured!
> 
> I have a few other fics if you're interested in:
> 
> [This is How Life Strikes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15624126/chapters/36278217) \- Reylo Modern AU, longer multichapter. Currently at Chapter 12. Rey runs a nonprofit and Kylo is a corporate advertising shark helping her out begrudgingly as a favor. Each have their own secrets from the past. The attraction is instant but resisted by both of them. Until it's not.
> 
> [Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17081243/chapters/40167917) Rey is a new professor at the New England art college Ben works at. A snowstorm hits and Ben must come to Rey's rescue. Cue fluffy and snowy fun.
> 
> [Love is a Misunderstanding Between Two Fools](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16410599/chapters/38417672). A gift fic for the Reylo Writing Den Halloween Fic Exchange. Rey shows up at a Halloween Party in a costume that makes Ben sure she is trying to kill him.
> 
> Come say hi on Tumblr [@greyforceuser](https://greyforceuser.tumblr.com/) or on Twitter [@forcegrey](https://twitter.com/ForceGrey)

**Author's Note:**

> This story is loosely based on my friend's experiences who is an actual event manager at a small museum. She had some of these crazy things happen to her working with a large event management company. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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